Apparatus for treating fabrics



July 29, 1952 G. c. WARD' 2,6 ,77

APPARATUS FOR TREATING FABRICS Filed Dec. 29. 1949 FIGJ.

1N VENTOR.

GEORGE C. WARD BY I ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 29, 1952 [v -rfr ED F TE NT ore-ice Thi invention relatesto textile materials: and relates more particularly to afproces's and pparatus for. treating fabrics and. the like. bylimmersingthe same in aliquid medium such'las a dyebath. i x 2 During the treatment of fabricsand the like by immersing the same in a liquid medium such as a dyebath,it frequently happens that the surface of the .bath becomes covered witha foreign material. The foreign material may consist of individualparticles floating on the surface of the bath, or may be in the form ofa film or foam covering all or a portion of the surface of the bath.When the fabric enters the bath, the for-.

It is an important object of this invention to provide a process andapparatus for treating fabrics and the like by immersing the same in aliquid medium such as a dyebath which will be free from the foregoingand other disadvantages of the processes and apparatus hitherto employedfor this purpose.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a process andapparatus for treating fabrics and the like by immersing the same in aliquid medium such as a dyebath in which the fabrics will initiallycontact the bath at a, point below the surface thereof.

other objects of this invention will be apparent from the followingdetailed description and claims.

According to the present invention, fabrics and the like are immersed ina. liquid medium such as a dyebath between a pair of curtain extendingthe full width of the fabric from a point above the surface of the bathto a point below the surface of the bath, which curtains are urgedtoward each other and into contact with the surfaces of the fabrics.Advantageously, the curtains contact the surfaces of the fabrics from apoint above the surface of the bath to a point below the surface of thebath. The fabrics entering the bath between said curtains initiallycontact the bath at a point below the surface thereof so that anyforeign material on the surface of the bath does not come into contactwith the fabrics and cannot adhere thereto. As a result, the productionof spotted fabrics owing to the adherence of foreign material to thesurfaces 'o'rjthe fabricsa they enter the bath is prevented.

Thefcurtains-between which the fabric enter 1 the bath maybe formed froma resilient mat such as rubber or a sheet of flexible metal and arearranged so that the curtains are urged toward each other by their ownresilience. Alternatively, the curtains may be formed from a flexiblematerial and be urged toward each other through the expediency ofsprings or other suitable mechanical means. If desired, one of thecurtains may be formed from a rigid material against which the other andflexible curtain is urged by its own resilience or by suitablemechanical means.

A preferred embodiment of my invention will now be described withparticular reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. l is atop plan view of the apparatus for treating fabrics and the like, withcertain parts, including the vat, omitted in the interest of clarity,and

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, takenon the line 2-2 in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawing, the reference numeral ll designates a vathaving therein a liquid medium such as a dyebath I2 whose surface iscovered with a layer of foam I3. Mounted on the vat II are a pair ofbrackets 14 that are held securely in place by means of downturned lipsl5 integral therewith that engage the sides of the vat ll. Each of thebrackets I4 carries a pair of plates IE adjustably fastened thereto bymeans of screws ll that extend through slotted openings [8 in the platesl6. Secured to the plates 16 are trunnion bearings IS in which aremounted a pair of parallel tubular rods 2! that extend across the vat II and are held against rotation by means of set screws 22 passingthrough the bearings IS.

A pair of flexible rubber curtains 23 extending the full Width of thefabric to be dyed are clamped to the tubular rods 2| by means of bars 24having screws 25 extending therethrough into threaded engagement withthe tubular rods 2i. The point at which the flexible rubber curtains 23contact the fabric, the spacing between the top of the curtains and theforce with which the curtains contact the fabric may be adjusted to takecare of fabrics of all types or varying dyebath conditions by moving theplates 16 toward or away from each other, by rotating the tubular rods2|, or by a combination of both of these expedients. During dyeing, afabric 26 is taken from any suitable source of supply (not shown),passed over a guide roll 21 and entered in the dyebath l2 between theflexible rubber curtains 23 so that it initially contacts the liquid ofthe dyebath at a point below the surface thereof and does not come intocontact with the foam I3. As a result, the production of foam spots onthe fabric 26 is prevented.

It is to be understood that the foregoing detailed description is givenmerely by way of illustration and that many variations may be madetherein without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patentis:

In an apparatus for treating fabrics and the like by immersing the samein a liquid medium, the combination with a vat for holding the liquidmedium, of a pair of parallel tubular rods extending across the vat andadjustably spaced from each other bearing means carried by the vat inwhich the ends of said rods are rotatably supported, set screw means insaid bearings for holding said tubular rods in fixed position, and

4 a pair of flexible rubber curtains clamped to said rods and extendingfrom a point above the surface of the liquid medium to a point below thesurface of the liquid medium, the construction and arrangement beingsuch that the flexible rubber curtains are urged toward each other andinto contact with the surfaces of the fabrics from a, point above thesurface of the liquid medium to a point below the surface of the liquidmedium whereby the fabrics may be entered into the liquid medium betweensaid curtains and will initially contact the liquid medium at a pointbelow the surface of the liquid medium.

GEORGE C. WARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 324,137 Mather Aug. 11, 18851,889,009 Woodhead Nov. 29, 1932 1,950,010 Riggs Mar. 6, 1934 2,372,248Bouton Mar. 27, 1945

